Andor Recap: Friends Everywhere

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Could we say that this episode of Andor could be considered moderately good, perhaps the first one in the series to receive such a description? Similar to last week’s release, it seems more disjointed, but it does establish an engaging subplot involving Cassian and Syril as they travel to different planets, each with the goal of assessing Ghorman, albeit for opposing reasons.

Cass carries out his duties in a rather grumpy manner. Disguised as a humorous fashion designer, he converses with a hotel employee who experienced a brutal massacre sanctioned by Grand Moff Tarkin during her childhood (the very same Tarkin). He then connects with Carro and Enza Rylanz, members of the Ghorman Front family. In a stern tone, he instructs them on their inadequacies in spycraft for the rebellion. Additionally, he notices a military transport that adds to the construction of the Imperial facility – a building disguised as an armory, yet the Imperials refuse to acknowledge it as an army base, leaving the Ghorman Front puzzled.

In Syril’s narrative, layers upon layers of deceit are evident; he spends a significant portion of the storyline involved in complex and multiple bluffs during his dialogues. He gets ousted from his office so the Imperials can perform a security check, followed by an interrogation about the bug found in his office, which he was aware of but used to gain favor with the Ghorman Front members he intended to deceive. Syril must feign indignation towards both the Imperial investigators and the Front rebels (who subtly flatter him by suggesting that the ISB might be secretly governing without the Emperor Palpatine’s knowledge). This leaves Syril juggling multiple personas, making one question, albeit momentarily, whether his apparent annoyance with Imperial intervention is genuine. If the disregard from them even slightly recalls his past encounter with Eedy, it could potentially make him sympathize with the Front’s perspective.

Instead: However, yes: He’s in Coruscant for a quick reunion with Dedra and the ISB, sharing his findings and seeking approval to escalate their operation, which involves giving the Ghorman Front some minor victories to boost their confidence. Additionally, he has another heated discussion planned with Eedy.

The significant scene from the business at hand serves as a noteworthy highlight, yet it doesn’t offer any fresh insights about Syril, Dedra, Eedy, or the ISB, except for subtly hinting that Syril and Dedra do have intimate relationships, which might have raised questions in some viewers’ minds. Their greeting after a long separation, while affectionate, is not particularly passionate, which is part of what makes them intriguing characters.

The interpersonal dynamic (or lack thereof) between these characters adds depth to the episode, which primarily focuses on routine plot development. Luthen visits Bix in her shared apartment with Cass, and although Bix accurately gauges his intentions (“You came here to offer me something, but you changed your mind”), it mainly serves to showcase Luthen’s observation of her drug use, followed by Bix justifying it as a means for sleep. In turn, Luthen issues a warning, offers praise, and subtly patronizes her all at once.

Luthen has pressing issues to deal with: Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau), his trusted assistant, overhears information from one of Luthen’s bugged items, and she finds out that their unaware informant is going to have a thorough review of all his possessions due to the discovery of a forgery. This implies that if they don’t act quickly, the bug will be found. If this sounds like a confusing plot point, you’ll understand better once more secrets about who the spy is come up in Wilmon’s storyline. In Wilmon’s case, he’s currently teaching one of Saw Gerrera’s men to operate fuel-stealing equipment and isn’t allowed to leave until the man is proficient with it. Once he is, Saw tells him that they plan to get rid of Wilmon for security reasons.

Indeed! Yet that character proved disloyal, supplying misleading intel to the Empire. Consequently, Saw executes him instead of Wilmon, leaving the latter to manage the equipment. The closing scene, where Saw and Wilmon move fuel undisturbed by Imperial knowledge, and Saw challenges his new ally with a rebellious act of inhaling suspicious fumes, is quite striking. It’s a bold move that seems more like the climax of an extended mental battle rather than quick succession of vague intrigue scenes. The scene leaves us pondering about Saw (though perhaps not those familiar with his Clone Wars episodes), but does it address questions that the average Andor viewer might have at this stage? Occasionally, watching this exceptional series feels like adhering to Luthen Rael’s instructions: You’re here for this task, and you may never grasp the full purpose behind it.

Rebel Yells

As a movie aficionado, I couldn’t help but notice that Ghorman seemed quite French already. But to seal the deal, Syril decided to don a beret on his journey back home. Simply magnificent!

In a more mature context, “Star Wars” isn’t particularly known for explicit romantic or sexual content. However, even within the less engaging episodes of “Andor”, a dialogue exchange between two rigid fascists might be considered one of the franchise’s most suggestive moments. For those who delve deeper into the series, they may find more heated romantic scenes in some canonical novels or perhaps Reylo fan fiction.

At last, we witness a Ghorman spider actively… within a display case at a textile storefront known as the Ghorman Front. It’s unclear if, much like the trinket given to Eedy, it bears the name Syril.

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2025-04-30 06:55